I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor - Chapter 420: Appearance (3)
Translator: Dreamscribe
In truth, the Hollywood actors gathered in this script reading session had different perspectives on Kang Woojin. Some were curious, some were jealous or envious, while others were simply bewildered. There were even those who couldn’t comprehend him at all.
Because Kang Woojin had shown such an abnormal trajectory.
No matter how talented he was, seeing a Korean actor with no Hollywood experience making such waves was quite unfamiliar for everyone present. As a result, all the Hollywood actors remained silent while looking at Woojin.
Their eyes were wide, and their bodies motionless.
“……”
“……”
Meanwhile, Chris Hartnett, who was sitting right next to Kang Woojin, glanced at him and let out a faint smile. Then, he asked again.
“Since it’s just a script reading, you went easy?”
Woojin, with his usual stiff expression, nodded.
“Yes.”
At that simple response, Chris let out a short laugh. He had asked because he thought Woojin might have held back a little, but hearing that answer, delivered so confidently, without any concern for others’ reactions, was unexpected.
‘Even if he really did hold back, people don’t usually admit it so bluntly. They either say it in a roundabout way or downplay it. But this guy, nothing about him is ordinary.’
How should he put it? Just like their first meeting, Chris felt like Kang Woojin was a lifeform he had never encountered before. The more he observed him, the more he felt that way. Perhaps that was why his curiosity and interest in Woojin kept growing. Chris looked at Woojin for a moment before chuckling softly.
“Haha, I see. So that’s why you felt a little different from the audition.”
Kang Woojin stared at Chris Hartnett, who was laughing as if dumbfounded. Though he was maintaining his persona, but internally, Woojin had a question mark floating in his mind.
‘Why? What? Why is this ridiculously handsome guy laughing? Isn’t it normal to hold back a little during a script reading?’
In reality, Kang Woojin had not gone all out for this script reading of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. He had held back about 30% of his effort. But wasn’t that how script readings usually went? It wasn’t like he had been careless, he had come here representing his country, after all. He had still showcased his skills when necessary. He had simply adjusted his intensity and maintained a cool demeanor.
‘Honestly, it’d be fun to completely overwhelm all these foreigners, but if I seem too desperate, it could actually make me look weaker.’
Woojin casually glanced around.
‘Still, even though I held back, they all look shocked out of their minds, huh?’
The widened eyes and stunned expressions of the Hollywood actors said it all. They looked completely dazed. It had been a calculated move on Woojin’s part, but it seemed to have worked perfectly.
‘I was wondering how to make an impression, but Chris came in at just the right time. Thanks, man.’
Since this was his first advance in Hollywood, setting a strong image was crucial. If he came off as a ‘no backing down’ guy with a touch of arrogance, that would be a success. But it wasn’t empty bravado, his confidence was well-founded. That was exactly what Woojin had intended. Similar to how he had introduced himself back in ‘Profiler Hanryang’.
It was like a self-introduction. Since this was their first time seeing Kang Woojin.
However, contrary to Woojin’s intentions, something amplified around him. That something started with Chris Hartnett.
‘Yeah… part of it is just how this guy is. But still, speaking so confidently like that, it was clearly meant to establish a distinct gap in level between him and the other actors here.’
That thought quickly spread among the dozens of Hollywood actors gathered there.
‘Went easy? So the acting he’s shown so far wasn’t even his maximum? Is that even possible? But if it’s true, did he just reveal the gap between us?’
‘…What the hell. There’s no way he’s bluffing in this situation. And Chris’s reaction is strange too. Does that mean there’s another level to Kang Woojin’s acting? Has he been holding back this whole time? But why? Is he planning to crush us?’
‘My God, then what about the shock I just felt? Was I left speechless over acting that wasn’t even his best? And it’s not just me, everyone here must be feeling the same. Is this intimidation? Is he trying to make sure no one can say a word against him?’
‘Even what he just did was amazing! But now you’re telling me there’s even more??! Damn!! Is he straight-up trying to stomp on us?!’
It was misunderstanding and misconception. They had judged things however they pleased and amplified their own conclusions endlessly. The first shock was that the insane performance Kang Woojin had shown, the one that had mesmerized everyone in this script reading room, was merely him going easy. The second was the realization that he had deliberately held back his true abilities, yet still managed to leave everyone utterly shaken.
And he did all that without a care, in a script reading room full of industry giants?
‘What kind of guts- no, is he just a crazy bastard?’
For some reason, the tension in the room increased several times over. The Hollywood actors stared intently at Woojin’s cynical face, each lost in their own thoughts, while Woojin, who had by now lowered his gaze back to the script, maintained his perfectly curated persona.
‘You guys are gonna burn a hole through my face at this rate.’
Then, the foreign reporters who had been watching started speaking up one by one.
“What? The performance I saw wasn’t even his 100%?”
“He literally just said so himself. That he was going easy.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! I got chills from his acting. And that was him holding back, he’s gotta be joking.”
“No. Chris asked first. He must’ve seen Woojin’s audition performance firsthand. So it’s obvious this wasn’t his full power.”
“……Kang Woojin must have orchestrated this whole thing on purpose. Was it because he wasn’t fully convinced that he had everyone’s attention yet?”
Now, not just the actors but even their team members and industry professionals began murmuring among themselves. With over a hundred people gathered, the room quickly became noisy. However, some of the key figures, the executive producers of ‘Pierrot’ and a few senior officials from ‘Columbia Studios’, didn’t show much of a reaction.
Because they had seen Kang Woojin’s real acting during the auditions.
That meant they already knew he was holding back for the script reading. Soon, a slight smile formed on the wrinkled lips of Director Ahn Ga-bok.
“Reminds me of ‘Leech’.”
He had already experienced Kang Woojin firsthand. Back then, he too had been deeply impressed when he saw Woojin’s toned-down acting.
‘But when the actual filming started, I saw his real performance and was completely floored. I never imagined he was hiding something even more incredible.’
Director Ahn Ga-bok’s gaze shifted momentarily from Woojin to the Hollywood actors encountering this monster for the first time. Then to their staff, the key production members, the reporters, every single one of them had an expression worth seeing.
‘Should I drop one more bombshell?’
There was no downside for Ahn Ga-bok in raising the tension further. When they shot ‘Leech’, Woojin had set the entire acting standard for not only his character, but for the entire cast. As a result, the overall quality of the performances had significantly improved.
Then, Ahn Ga-bok.
-Swish.
Rubbed his chin thoughtfully before calling out to Kang Woojin, then asked in English.
“Can you also act all the other roles in ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ besides the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ this time too?”
Chris, the Hollywood actors, and every foreigner in the script reading room, except for Ahn Ga-bok, all furrowed their brows.
What the hell is he talking about?
However, Woojin’s response, spoken in his low-toned English, was incredibly simple.
“No problem.”
After that.
For a brief moment, the shock swallowed everyone whole. Yet the script reading of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ continued. However, the dazed expressions of everyone remained. Curious beyond reason, Chris Hartnett handed over his own role to Kang Woojin.
“If you really can do other roles, I’d like to see you perform mine.”
The approval from Ahn Ga-bok and the executive producer came instantly. And then, Kang Woojin turned the reading room upside down once again. Without any preparation time, he immediately performed Chris’s role on the spot. Watching this, Chris realized the level of the monster standing before him.
‘This goes way beyond just being a good actor, what is he? A god?’
Though the character might have been the same, the substance within it was completely different. And so, a script reading filled with shock and awe continued until late in the afternoon. The reactions of the gathered actors were split into two. Some clung to Kang Woojin, bombarding him with questions. Others fled the reading room as if running for their lives.
Either way, none of it had anything to do with Kang Woojin.
‘Hmm, satisfied.’
The Aftermath of the Script Reading The reporters who had attended the reading quickly left their seats. However, they weren’t fleeing. They were simply in a rush to publish what they had just witnessed as soon as possible, within the boundaries of what ‘Columbia Studios’ had permitted for media release.
It took only a few dozen minutes before articles about the ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ script reading flooded Hollywood.
『CNM / Script reading for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ completed, Kang Woojin was a monster!』
『LA TIME / At the script reading for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, Kang Woojin silenced everyone, He will take over Hollywood with ease』
In most headlines, Kang Woojin’s name was displayed in bold letters.
Woojin, who was checking these articles while riding in the van, appeared calm on the outside, but inside, he was secretly grinning.
‘Kekeke, they’re hyping me up again.’
After scanning through a few international articles, Woojin then checked Korean media coverage. The buzz surrounding his nomination for the ‘Emmy Award’ for Best Actor was still red-hot.
– Kang Woojin is a legend.
– ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 10 Emmy nominationsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ fuck never thought I’d see something like this in real life
– When ‘Beneficial Evil’ was first released, I never imagined it would blow up like this… Seeing it become such a massive hit overseas is actually kind of emotional
– ㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅠㅜSong Man-woo, Kang Woojin-nim, thank you for making Korea proudㅠㅠㅠ
– Every time I see him, I feel proud!! He’s only a nominee for now, but he’s already made history! If he actually wins an award, it’s going to be insane.
– What’s crazy about this is that the ‘Emmys’ are already a massive wall to climb, but ‘Beneficial Evil’ managed to beat out ‘Subtle Stories 2’, which was a mega-hit in the U.S., that’s legendary.
– Kang Woojin is truly a treasure of Korean culture.
There was no way the Korean media would ignore the fact that Kang Woojin had conquered three of Hollywood’s “Big Five” studios.
『Kang Woojin completes script reading for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, Foreign media praises: “Kang Woojin was a monster”, What happened?』
The news had already exploded.
Over the next few days, Kang Woojin effortlessly handled his Hollywood schedule.
First, Chris Hartnett appeared as a guest on the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel. It was a somewhat last-minute arrangement, but the filming wrapped up smoothly. Woojin also visited ‘World Disney Pictures’ and ‘Universal Movies’.
Meetings, interviews with various media outlets and magazines, it was a whirlwind.
Despite the short period, he even managed to attend a number of events and parties.
『[Star Talk] Kang Woojin attends a luxury brand event, takes photos with Hollywood superstars / Photos』
After an exhausting schedule with barely any time to breathe, Kang Woojin finally returned to Korea a week later.
However, instead of taking a break, he immediately dove into his packed itinerary.
From shooting ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 to countless other engagements, so many that listing them all was impossible.
『Back in Korea, Kang Woojin begins filming ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2, Meanwhile, international backlash against ‘Beast and the Beauty’ continues… When is the script reading?』
『The world is watching ‘Emmy Award’ Best Actor nominee Kang Woojin… ‘Emmy Awards’ officials: “We will announce the official ceremony date soon.”』
Time flew by once again.
May 27th had arrived. Before he knew it, May was coming to an end. Half of the year had already passed. At that moment, Kang Woojin was in the midst of filming ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
“Alright- Woojin-ssi, we’re going for a bust shot! Action!!”
For reference, the filming of ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 was in its final stages. Kang Woojin was already well known as an actor who never made NGs, and with the ‘Emmy Award’ buzz fueling his momentum, PD Song Man-woo’s energy was at its peak. The production team was just as fired up.
At this current insane pace.
“Our crank-up is scheduled for early next month, right?”
“Wow- next month already? Feels like we just started filming Part 2 yesterday! Time is flying.”
“If we wrap up filming around June, then with post-production and everything else, it should be up on Netflix by… September?”
“Seems like it. Since Part 1 was a massive hit both domestically and internationally, we need to push it out as quickly as possible.”
“So that means it’ll be after the ‘Emmy Awards’, huh… Ha… If we win even one award at the ‘Emmys’ and then launch Part 2, that would be perfect timing.”
‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 was set to crank up in June and officially launch in September.
That night, as the intense filming continued on set, PD Song Man-woo gave his final cue.
“Cut!! OOOOK!! Woojin-ssi, nice!!”
After wrapping up a conversation with Song Man-woo about the next day’s shoot, Kang Woojin returned to his seat. His suit, worn for the intense scene, was torn in several places, and his face was covered in special effects makeup, aside from a few real scratches.
But his signature poker face remained unchanged.
Swish.
Waiting for him at his seat was Choi Sung-gun, with his signature ponytail.
“Woojin.”
“Yes, CEO-nim.”
He flashed a slight smile.
“Got a call an hour ago – the first filming date for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ has been confirmed.”
It was a smile filled with anticipation.
“Second week of June.”
